Where to find a new dog / puppy

teresagarsden

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 January 2009
Messages
785
Location
upNorth
Visit site
I dont come to the All about dogs section often but i do lurk around....
As some of you may remember mY old dog Kenwood was a little wonky before Xmas, so after advice from here I tookhim to the vets and had various checks done and the vet said she suspected he had had a minor stroke, then just before New year i took him back again as he was much worse and really struggling to balance and get up from a sit/lie down. Again more checks and tests and the outcome was that the vet suspected a brain tumor so myself and my husband made the decission to PTS. We let him see in the new year as it was his 16th bithday on new years day then said our goodbyes :O(

So now i am looking for a new furry friend as the house is too quiet and tidy ( no tumbleweed hair balls anywhere!!)
In an ideal world i would love a labrador (puppy/Juinor) but not overly fussed but not a bull terrier of any sort.

The question is where is the best places to go or look and what are the places/people to avoid.

I have already sent my details to N/W lab rescue and local RSPCA.

Just to add i got both of my previous dogs as puppies through friends so finding a dog is completly new to me.. my 2 found me :O)
 
A rescue was looking to home a 1 yr old lab bitch this am when i looked on their fb page, I shall go have a look and see if there is any update. Otherwise just looking through the rescue sites, we always get labs in (none right now) but generally we always have one in.
 
Thank you Cayla.
We would prefer a lab but we would happliy consider other breeds or x breeds, I would love a puppy or younger dog but thats because i have lost both my old dogs in the last 2 years and I have my heart set on a playful youngster.
I have my own private land a stables so the dog will be with me at the stables :O)
 
You could try many tears rescue they always have labs on there I am not sure about their ethics but that is personal you may be happy with them.
Personally I found it cheaper and easier to buy a puppy after being turned down by a couple because of silly rules. I was turned down for being too clean and tidy and having cream carpets. We had just lost a golden retriever the cream carpets were new because it is a new house and chosen to match the dog.
I have heard of others refused because of too little land, garden not got a 6ft fence, No one home or regularly out for more than 3 hours, Too much land (dont get that one), existing dogs not neutered, you must have another dog (again dont get it) and hundreds of other silly regulation. So good luck it would seem a lot of rescues are really not willing to rehome to good homes because no one is good enough
 
I have always gone for Borders and found that a speciaist Border Collie rescue is best. Is there a Rescue organisations for Labs? There are specific rescue organisations for most breeds, and they tend to know about any of the breed looking for a new home.
 
Thank you Cayla.
We would prefer a lab but we would happliy consider other breeds or x breeds, I would love a puppy or younger dog but thats because i have lost both my old dogs in the last 2 years and I have my heart set on a playful youngster.
I have my own private land a stables so the dog will be with me at the stables :O)

Where abouts are you?
 
Oh forgot to say I am in Lancashire but will travel up to 2 hours if i need to visit, meet, walk ect.

Thank you everybody all this info is just what i need :O)
 
If you did decide to get a puppy from a breeder check back here and see if anyone can point you in the direction of an ethical breeder who only breeds from health tested parents.
 
Please don't the negative comment about rescue put you off. There are a vast number of rescues, all with different policies, all crammed.

SoI would look at the welfare for breeds you are particularly interested in. I would also look at things like dog trust, Battersea and put a note up on here for your local smaller rescues too. I fly the flag for staffords and love them dearly but appreciate they are not what you are after, (though mine are A1 yard dogs!). I have recently seen though there are a huge increase in bigger dogs coming in and this will include breeds you would not think would be dumped, so dalmations, labs, etc. They also do tend to be younger dogs. A rescue near me has just rehomed a KC reg, 3 year old lab bitch, really nice dog too so they really are out there. Put a note up here asking for rescue recommendations near you too and what they look for..
 
You could try many tears rescue they always have labs on there I am not sure about their ethics but that is personal you may be happy with them.
Personally I found it cheaper and easier to buy a puppy after being turned down by a couple because of silly rules. I was turned down for being too clean and tidy and having cream carpets. We had just lost a golden retriever the cream carpets were new because it is a new house and chosen to match the dog.
I have heard of others refused because of too little land, garden not got a 6ft fence, No one home or regularly out for more than 3 hours, Too much land (dont get that one), existing dogs not neutered, you must have another dog (again dont get it) and hundreds of other silly regulation. So good luck it would seem a lot of rescues are really not willing to rehome to good homes because no one is good enough

anywhere but MT.

Labs come up quite a bit contact the breed rescues they will assess you and situation. Lots of dogs in rescues at the moment and a big shortage of homes so your in with a good chance.
 
I think from the sound of things i am going to be spending a good few days going through the various websites for rescue centres.
My friend has a terrier she got from a local rescue years ago and she said they were great to deal with and helped her lots to make sure she had the right dog for her,this sounds good I suppose its only right that some rescue centres are strict seeing what the poor dogs have already been through. ( Although Realy Too Much Land!!)
I do appriciate all of the replies they are all useful good or bad. It all helps.
 
I have Dogs Trust just about 2 mins down the road from me so that's my usual port of call! :)

You could try the Blue Cross, RSPCA or search your local rescues. If you are wanting a specific type though I guess you'd have to look at more breed rescues than your general ones. I have just looked on the sites of the names I mentioned and there are no labs there. I only saw one lab when I was looking for a dog and he was a very big, exhuberent one!
 
anywhere but MT.

This. I used to think they were great but providing homes for ex breeding dogs just leaves space for more breeding dogs. Like someone said, it's personal to you.

Did someone really get carpets to match their dog?! :eek: I just ripped all of mine out and tiled, saves constant hoovering.
 
This. I used to think they were great but providing homes for ex breeding dogs just leaves space for more breeding dogs. Like someone said, it's personal to you.

Did someone really get carpets to match their dog?! :eek: I just ripped all of mine out and tiled, saves constant hoovering.

! carpets and dogs just do not mix. Even if they are shorthaired dogs, there is a constant battle over footprints. I have a large rug down in my conservatory but it seems to be constantly in and out of the washing machine and as it is wool, it absolutely honks when drying.. I am stubborn as it looks nice!
 
Yes did get the carpets to match the dog because it means I dont have to hoover as much. I hate hard floors I have cream carpets and a yellow lab she spends all her time with me so she has a wonderful life sleeps on my lap on the sofa most of the day She loves it
We also have a leather suite which she sleep on because it is easier to clean but I must admit I am not much for housework so have made it easy to live with
 
Last edited:
We got one of our labs from the NW lab rescue, as did quite a few other people we know. They're lovely people, and their site has a forum, so there is lots of backup if need be.

Yellow and black on here both NW lab rescue dogs... (assuming you use www.homealabrador.net) They've got about 8 on their site at the moment. Two were tied up at a railway station on Xmas day and abandoned!

summer2012054.jpg
 
Last edited:
What beautiful dogs Honey08. Love the cheesy grin on the yellow lab.

I am waiting for a home visit from one rescue centre and not heard anything from 2 others. and I will try to call NWlab againg tonight but they do sound like very nice people and they got straight back to me .
I also am looking at a pointer x collie puppy at the weekend, but searching for more info on these first.

Teresa
 
Top